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COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 






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THE GILBERT STUART PORTRAIT OF COMMODORE OLIVER HAZARD PERRY, OWNED BY MR. 
OLIVER HAZARD PERRY OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS 



The "Niagara" Keepsake— Perry's Victory Centennial Souvenir Series. 
Copyright, 1913, ny The Journal of American History. 








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(Euinptlru anu ftuhlisltpu by, tlir Euttarial £>taff of (Tl)p Journal of 

American SjiBtury. tttiorr Hie Anonicr-a of tye lUoaru 

of |Icrry*a Hiriory Centennial (Uommia- 

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THE MiiRXIXC OF THE LAUNCHING 



THE JOURNAL OF AMERICAN HISTORY 
FORTY-SECOND STREET BUILDING, NEW YORK 






®lj* "Niagara" 



©u Utatiutg 2jer as &ty Sag, Srrentlg &ats?&, 

an tij? Blpve of iKiaerg lag, lEru?, P? mtagluatua, 

April 2, 1913 

BY 

The Editor of The Journal of American History 

Who laid the ancient forest in this keel, 

Bowing his hack to serve in this great oak, 
That rises, after fourscore years a-soak, 

To flout the metal tubs we now anneal, — 

As these wrought-iron spikes rebuke our steel? 

What axe-song welded thee, what mighty stroke, 
Niagara, — Lawrence, and the rest, that broke 

Oppression from our starry Commonweal . J 

Thine, Dobbins* — dauntless! Lo, thy frontier band 

God calls, Presque Isle's staunch men and women takes, — 
Strong, rough-hewn timbers and wrought-iron, — makes 

A blade of destiny, hews Perry's hand 

To swing this Erie forest, whirls the brand, 

And sweeps the British insult off the Lakes! 



* Captain Daniel Dobbins' own ax. October 24, 1812, felled^the great^ black- 
hewed out the timber that afterwards became the keel of the " Niagara " — the 
felled and the first timber hewn in the building of Perry's fleet. 



oak and 
first tree 




A SPIKE TAKEN FROM TOE RAISED "NIAGARA" AS SHE LAV ON THE BEACH OF 

MISERY BAY, APRIL 7, 1913 



Text and Illustrations in this Book are Copyrighted, 1913, by The Journal of American History 

All Rights Reserved 



sT*> 



RPR 24 1914 






CC>CI.A3698r>-l 

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THE MORNING OF THE LAUNCHING— STERN VIEW OF THE "NIAGARA" SHORTLY BEFORE SHE PASSED 

INTO THE WATER, JUNE V. L913 



The "Niagara" Keepsake — Perry's Victory Centennial Souvenir 5eries, 
Copyright. 1913, ny The Journal of American History. 




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©It? "Niagara" in % (twrtemrial (Erlrbraitmta 

QIlip patriotic Qtotttrtforiwn nf the £>tatr of ftcmtsntuama 

la % iWrmory, of ©Inter fagarn |lc rry ana ©hose Uljo 

3Fmtn.bt litth TJitm 




FRANK ALLABEN 

Editor in Chief of The Journal of American History 

ArPILV the people of the great State of Pennsylvania 
now own the historic " Niagara " that carried Com- 
modore Oliver Hazard Perry's fighting flag to victory 
in the battle of Lake Erie one hundred years ago. 
Through their able representatives, the Pennsylvania 
_ Board of Perry's Victory Centennial Commissioners 
the people of Pennsylvania have raised the famous old brig from her 
long sleep at the bottom of " Misery May," Presque Isle Harbor, Erie 
Pennsylvania; they have lovingly rebuilt and refitted her; and they 
joyously are sending her on her gallant cruise through the Great 
Lakes this summer to salute the peoples of the vast empire of the 
" Old Northwest " which was won for the Stars and Stripes from the 
" Niagara's " staunch deck. 

Can any one be a Pennsylvanian and not exult in the complete 
success of this great patriotic achievement ? For this service the wh< -le 
country owes a debt of gratitude to Pennsylvania; the State of Penn- 
sylvania is under deep obligation to her Board of Perry's Victory 
Commissioners; and this Hoard is in turn grateful to its" President, 
General A. E. Sisson, who has devoted his attention assiduously to 
the problems connected with the raising, rebuilding, and equipping of 
the " Niagara," and to Captain William L. Morrison, First Battalion 
Naval Force, Pennsylvania, Commander of the U. S. S. " Wolverine " 
who for two years has worked enthusiastically with General Sisson, 
a volunteer without pay, superintending every detail of the raising! 
rebuilding, and equipping of Perry's war brig. ' 

At the launching of the " Niagara," Lieutenant-Governor Bur- 
chard of Rhode Island, Perry's native State, uttered words which 
must stir the heart of every patriotic American. " On the sea and 
on the lakes, marking the eastern and western confines of the colonies, 

m 



PERRY S VICTORY CENTENNIAL SOUVENIR 

reconsecrated and rededicated as shrines of patriotism, shall float upon 
the beautiful waters by the shores that they defended, the invincible 
old ' Constitution ' and the redoubtable ' Niagara.' Youthful feet 
shall tread their decks and youthful eyes shall kindle at the recollection 
of Lawrence's message and of Holmes' verse. These precious relics, 
lovingly preserved by a grateful posterity, will carry down a message 
from the patriot fathers to succeeding generations." 

To this noble sentiment every American heart will respond; and 
we of other States gladly join with the people of Pennsylvania, not 
alone in honoring the heroes of 1812, who fought for our freedom, 
but in honoring also the generous men of Pennsylvania who have 
brought up the brave old " Niagara " out of her tomb of seventy years 
at the bottom of their beautiful lakeport, in order that she herself, 
who went through the strife, might symbolize and eloquently recall to 
us our great responsibility and privilege of guarding the sacred herit- 
age that the heroes on her deck, and all the others like them, preserved 
at such great cost, to hand it down to us and to our children. 

When, by joint resolution of the General Assembly of Ohio, 
passed February 28, 1908, an Ohio Perry's Victory Centennial Com- 
mission was appointed by Governor Harmon to prepare plans for a 
centennial celebration on Put-in-Bay Island, Pennsylvania was the 
first of the other States to extend a helping hand to Ohio. General 
A. E. Sisson of Erie, who had distinguished himself during several 
terms in the Pennsylvania Senate, and who was then Auditor-General 
of that State, drew the bill to create a Pennsylvania Board of Perry's 
Victi try Commissioners. 

Fortunately for the State and for the whole country, as it has 
transpired, he himself became President of the Commission created 
under this bill. Associated with him were four gentlemen of Penn- 
sylvania, who have served their State in other capacities and have 
cordially and enthusiastically cooperated with him in the measures 
connected with the " Niagara " which must make the centennial cele- 
brations of this summer of 1913 memorable for all time. These 
gentlemen are Honorable Milton \Y. Shreve of Erie, Representative 
in Congress from the district containing the City of Erie; Honorable 
Edwin H. Yare of Philadelphia, Senator from the First Senatorial 
District of Pennsylvania; Honorable Thomas C. Jones of McKeesport, 
formerly Judge of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania ; and Honorable 
George W. Neff , M. D., of Masontown. 

Other States followed the example set by Pennsylvania until no 
less than ten States had undertaken to cooperate in making the Perry 

[8] 




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PENNSYLVANIA PERRY'S VICTORY CENTENNIAL COMMISSION 



HON. MILTON W. SHREVE 
HON. GEORGE W. NEFF 



HON. A. E. SISSON, President 



HON. EDWIN H. VARE 
HON. THOMAS C. JONES 



THE NIAGARA KEEPSAKE 

Celebrations of 1913 a matter of National import. Moreover, tire 
Congress of the United States was enlisted in this great patriotic 
enterprise, and appropriated a quarter of a million of dollars which, 
conditioned upon a proper financial cooperation by the participating 
States, will become available in carrying out the proposed plans. 
Three commissioners were appointed to represent the United States 
Government: Lieutenant-General Nelson A. Miles, representing the 
Army, Rear Admiral Charles II. Davis, representing the Navy, and 
General J. Warren Keifer. 

The Commissioners for Ohio are: George II. Worthington and 
John H. Clarke. Cleveland; S. M. Johannson, Put-in-Bay; Eli 
Winkler, Cincinnati; Horace Holbrook, Warren; William C. Mooney, 
Woodsfield; Horace L. Chapman, Columbus; George W. Dun, Toledo. 

The Commissioners for Michigan are: Arthur P. Loomis, Lans- 
ing; Roy S. Barnhart, Grand Rapids; E. K. Warren, Three Oaks; 
George W. Parker, Detroit. 

The Commissioners for Illinois are: General Philip C. Hayes, 
Joliet; William Porter Adams, Willis J. Wells and Chesley R. Perry] 
Chicago; W. II. Mcintosh, Rockford. 

The Commissioners for Wisconsin are: fohn M. Whitehead, 
Janesville; A. W. Sanborn, Ashland; C. B. Perry, Wauwatosa; S. W. 
Randolph, Manitowoc; Louis Bohmrich, Milwaukee; Sol I '. Hunting- 
ton, Green Bay; Rear Admiral Erederick M. Symonds, Galesville. 

The Commissioners for New York are: William Simon and 
Senator George D. Emerson, Buffalo; John T. Mott, ( )swego; Clinton 
Bradford Herrick, M. D., Troy; Henry Harmon Noble, Essex. 

The Commissioners for Rhode Island are: Senator fohn P. 
Sanborn, Newport; Louis N. Arnold, Westerly; Sumner Mowry, 
Peacedale; Henry E. Davis, Woonsocket; Colonel Harry Cutler,' 
Providence. 

The Commissioners for Kentucky are: Colonel Henry Watterson 
and Colonel Andrew Cowan, Louisville; Samuel M. Wilson, Lexing- 
ton; Colonel R. W. Nelson, Newport; Mackenzie R. Todd, Frankfort. 

The Commissioners for Minnesota are: W. H. Wescott, Rose- 
mount; J. Edward Meyers, Minneapolis; Ralph W. Wheelo'ck, St. 
Paul; Milo B. Prince, Owatonna ; Clyde Kelly, Duluth. 

All of these commissioners together form the Tnter-State Board, 
the general officers of which are George H. Worthington, President- 
General; Colonel Henry Watterson, First Vice-President-General ; 
Webster P. Huntington, Secretary-General ; General A. E. Sisson, 
Treasurer-General, and Colonel Harry Cutler. Auditor-General. 



PERRY S VICTORY CENTENNIAL SOUVENIR 

Perrv's Victory Centennial Committees have also been appointed 
in the different lake ports where special celebrations have been planned, 
and these Committees have been affiliated in an Inter-City Board, of 
which Honorable William J. Sterne, Mayor of the City of Erie, is 
President. 

In 191 1 General Sisson drew up and had introduced in the Penn- 
sylvania Legislature another bill providing an appropriation. It was 
passed and on June 14, 1911, approved and signed by Governor Tener, 
making $75,00*0 of the money of the State of Pennsylvania available 
" to aid in the erection of a memorial on Put-in-Bay Island in Lake 
Erie, State of Ohio, in commemoration of the victory of Commodore 
Oliver Hazard Perry at the battle of Lake Erie, and the centennial 
celebration of that event in the year one thousand nine hundred and 
thirteen." 

This bill provides that " no part of the money hereby appropri- 
ated shall be available for said celebration until the Commissioners 
appointed by the Governor of Pennsylvania are satisfied that a suf- 
ficient sum has been appropriated, by the United States and the States 
participating, for the completion of said memorial." P>ut it closes 
with this very interesting exception: 

" Excepting, however, that said Commission may expend from 
said appropriation such an amount as it may deem appropriate and 
advisable, under all of the circumstances, to be used to properly recog- 
nize the fact, in connection with said proceedings, that the fleet com- 
manded by Commodore Perry at the Battle of Lake Erie was con- 
structed in Pennsylvania, and sailed from the port of Erie to meet 
Barclay and the British fleet, returning after the battle to Presque 
Isle Bay at that place, with all of the enemy, living, as prisoners of 
war, and all of his ships as spoils of war, — at which place the wounded 
of both sides were nursed, — and where, at the bottom of the bay, 
now lie the remains of the ' Niagara,' to which Commodore Perry 
during the battle transferred his flag from the disabled ' Lawrence '." 

This bill of General Sisson's will always have a special historic 
interest, first of all for Pennsylvanians, but equally for all, as con- 
taining the first allusion in official documents of the Perry Celebration 
to Perry's unraised flagship entombed in the harbor at Erie. 

Who first definitely broached the splendid project of raising the 
" Niagara," — whether General Sisson of the Commission, or Captain 
Morrison of the Pennsylvania Naval Eorce aboard the " Wolverine," 
— it may be difficult positively to determine ; but to both these gentle- 
men it early presented itself as a practical possibility, since which 

[121 




CAPTAIN WILLIAM L. MORRISON, N F, P., COMMANDING 
U. S. S. •' WOLVERINE " 



The "Niagara" Keepsake— lVrrj "s Victor) Centennial v venir Sei ii b 

Cupynt;]!!, 1913, ny l"he Journal of American Historj 



THE NIAGARA KEEPSAKE 

time they have enthusiastically worked together, early and late, with a 
success now known to the entire nation. 

From its foundation The Journal of American History has 
dedicated itself to the cause of a deep and genuine American patriot- 
ism. As the centennial of Perry's victory approached, its Editors 
hegan a work of research for the materials, textual and illustrative, to 
present the great decisive conflict in its true light. 

1 was struck by the phrase in many of the enactments, provid- 
ing for a Perry Celebration, that this event should " take the form of 
an educational, military, naval and historical celebration." Visiting, 
early this year, some of the cities where celebrations had been planned, 
I was, I confess, somewhat discouraged. I feared the greatness of 
the opportunity might not be fully realized, — the opportunity to 
quicken patriotism, in ourselves, our children and the whole country. 

But learning what General Sisson and Captain Morrison were 
doing at Erie, supplemented by the local committees of that city, I 
became assured. J felt that the indomitable spirit of Captain Daniel 
Dobbins still reigned there; that it was still the place of energy and 
action, where patriotic things are done, even as it was in those old 
days of 1812 and 1813 when the music of the hammer and the ax, 
which strong-hearted Dobbins and his men played in the forests of 
Erie, foretold the doom of British supremacy on the Great Lakes and 
prophesied the end of that threatening shadow of British dominion 
which lay over the " Old Northwest " and the still greater West 
beyond. 

From that moment this book has been planned as a tribute, not 
alone to Perry and his heroes, but to the great State of Pennsylvania 
that has raised up the glorious old " Niagara " and given her back 
to us, that she may again proudly dominate, throughout our jubila- 
tion, the waters of the Upper Lakes. 

We have been embarrassed by the wealth of interesting material 
collected. Scarcely a third of what has been gathered together can 
be compressed within the hundred pages to which this book is limited 
— that in price it may be brought within the reach of every American. 

The reproduction of Perry's fighting flag, on the back cover, has 
been faithfully made from an excellent photograph of the original. 
The field of the flag itself, about eight by nine feet, was originally 
blue, with letters about a foot high, cut out of white muslin and sewed 
upon it, forming the undying utterance of Captain James Lawrence 
of the "Chesapeake," as he was carried below, mortally wounded, 
" Don't give up the ship! " The present dim, faded bluish tint of this 

U5] 



perry's victory centennial souvenir 

famous fighting burgeon, — which flew from the masthead of both the 
- Lawrence " and the " Niagara " during the battle, — has been faith- 
fully reproduced. 

On the front cover, reproducing the original oil painting in fac- 
simile, appears the famous portrait of Perry conceded by experts to 
be his best likeness. It is from the painting by John Wesley Jarvis 
for the City of New York. Perry sat for this portrait in 1816, at the 
invitation of the corporation of the City of New York. Through 
the courtesy of the Art Commission of that city it was taken down 
from its place into a perfect light for this book, so that four negatives 
through French screens might be taken by our expert color-engravers 
for " The Niagara Keepsake." 

Like one with more flowers than he can assemble in a bouquet 
convenient for the hand, we have tried to pick and choose for this 
wreath which we would lay fragrant upon the memory of Perry and 
his heroes. 




facsimile of the obverse and reverse of the medal given to commodore perry by 
congress after the battle of lake erie 



The "Niagara" Keepsake— Perry's Victory Centennial Souvenir Series. 
Copyright, 1913, oy The'journal of American History. 




PORT SIDE OF THE " NIAGARA" AS SHE CAME UP OUT OF MISERY BAY, MARCH 6, I'-'i: 
SHOWING BULWARKS AND ONE OF HER GUN PORTS 



The "Niagara" Keepsake— Perry's Victory Centennial Souvenir Series. 
Copyright, 1913, dj Die Journal of American History, 




STERN VIEW OF THE "NIAGARA," APRIL 2, 1913, JUST AFTER SHE HAD BEEN 7 BEACHED ON THE SHORE OF MISERY BAY 



The "Niagara" Keepsake— Perry's Victory Centennial Souvenir Series. 
Copyright, 1913, Dy The Journal of American History. 



®h? IRatsutg anb lebmliiutg of % "Niagara' 

ehr Krmarkablc (HmtiMtinn «f $rrry's ©lii lUar-llrig as S-br 

(Haute lip Out nf % Sag, Making it possible to (6ft All ijcr 

ICutrs anh Restore Sjer aH S'lje Uaa 



The Editor of The Journal of American History 




S early as mid-summer of 1912 Captain W. L. Morrison 

was authorized by General Sisson, in behalf of the 
Pennsylvania Perry's Victory Centennial Commission, 
to employ a diver to make a careful examination oi 
the condition of the " Niagara " after her eighty years' 
sleep at the bottom of Misery Bay. The diver was 
promptly employed and the examination made. 

" At the request of the Pennsylvania Perry's Victory Centennial 
Commission," reads Captain Morrison's report, made at the time, " the 
T. A. Gillespie Company diver was engaged to make an examina- 
tion of the Niagara, sunk in Misery Bay, part of Erie Harbor, 
Pennsylvania. 

" The wreck is located in about twenty feet of water, buried 
on an average in six feet of sand and mud. Hie starboard side was 
intact to a height of some six feet. The port side was more com- 
pletely buried in the sand, and seemed to be in fair condition. The 
stem and stern-post were intact. 

" I respectfully submit and consider it practical to rebuild this 
ship, and from the examination am satisfied that two-thirds of the 
original structure is still intact." 

The contract for raising and beaching the " Niagara " was let 
November 10, 1 ( '12, "but owing to the severity of the weather and 
snow storms," in the words of Captain Morrison, " the work could 
not lie satisfactorily accomplished as in more suitable weather." 
During the fall and winter the work went on slowly, most oi the 
time through boles cut in the ice covering Misery Bay. Working 

[19] 



PERRY S VICTORY CENTENNIAL SOUVENIR 



through twenty feet of water, a sand sucker was used to uncover the 
hull which lay buried in six feet of sand. With the removal of 
this sand, preparations were made for the work of raising by passing 
four chains under the hull. 

As described by Ensign Kessler, of the " Wolverine," to accom- 
plish this, " two pieces of two-inch pipe were joined at an angle and 
attached to the bottom, giving a hydraulic pressure of approximately 
two hundred pounds per square inch. This pipe then formed a very 
powerful jet, which was placed in position at one side of the wreck 
and gradually forced under the hull by means of the hydraulic pres- 
sure behind it. The mud and sand were blown away, inch by inch, 
and the pipe-jet forced further and further under the wreck, until 




THE LINES OF THE " NIAGARA "—WONDERFULLY "FAIR AND SWEET" 

ropes attached to the ends of this pipe-jet could be fished up on 
the opposite side of the hull and a heavy chain, attached to these 
ropes, drawn underneath the vessel." 

Four chains, one forward, one aft, and two amidships, were thus 
placed around the sunken hull and made fast to strong beams, sup- 
ported on pontoons, one on either side of the wreck. The actual 
raising was then begun, the hull of the historic battle-brig being 
" raised a link at a time," as expressed in one of Captain Morrison's 
reports, " by means of a twenty-foot lever." 

The " Niagara " was brought to the surface on a blustering day, 
March 6, 1913, without any damage or breaking of her hull. Gradu- 
ally the old brig, still chained to the beams supported by the two 
pontoons, as described, was shifted toward the shore of Misery Bay. 

[20] 




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VIEW OF THE "NIAGARA," APRIL 2. 1013, STARBOARD SIDE, LOOKING AFT 

The "Niagara" Keepsake — Perry's Victory Centennial Souvenir Series. 
Copyright, 1913, oy The Journal of American History. 



THE NIAGARA KEEPSAKE 



On account of ice and the severe weather, the actual beaching was 
delayed until April 1, 1913. 

The state in which the " Niagara " reached the surface, on 
.March 6, is best described in a report made by Captain Morrison: 

" The condition of the hull is as follows: — 

"The starboard side was gone to the point of the turn of the 
bilge. The port side was intact amidships to the heighth of the rail 
for a distance of sixtv feet, showing six gun ports. This section had 
to be removed before the ship was hauled nut, as there were no 
decks left to support same. 

"' The keel, stem, and stern-posts, and natural knee floor timbers 
were in an excellent state of preservation, and will be used in the re- 
building of the brig. The bulwarks were of white pine, with red 
cedar and black walnut stanchions; the gun-ports, ten (10) feet 
center, were thirty-six (30) inches square. Bolts, that held the gun 
britchens, extended through the bulwarks and are fastened with slot 
and key. 

" The action of the acid in the oak, in contact with the iron 
spikes, had in some cases eaten a hole two inches in diameter around 
the spikes. In other cases it had apparently preserved the wood, and 
made each spike appear like a knot. 

"The planking was worn away, presumably by the action oi 
the sand, on an average of one inch. The oakum in the seams is 
still intact, and the seams were further calked with tea lead. 

"One point which mav throw light on the Perry-Elliot contro- 
versy was discovered: 

" A bolt apparently by accident, had been driven some eight 
inches through the keel, into possibly a keel block, and when launched 
this keel block might have been carried with the ship into the water: 
and, if not, this bolt would have calked weeds, accounting tor the 
inability of the Niagara to engage sooner in action.*' 

One of our illustrations shows a gun-port on the side oi the 
" Niagara," as she came up through the ice, March 6, and shows 
her bulwarks still erect above deck on this side to the height of the rail. 
Other illustrations, from photographs taken by Lieutenant Nick oi 
the " Wolverine " on April 2, the day after she was beached, show 
the substantial condition in which the " Niagara " came to shore, the 
bulwarks on the port side having been removed. 

The contract for the rebuilding of the " Niagara " was signed 
on Saturday evening, April 5, and on Monday following, April 7. 
the work began. On that day the writer, through the courtesy of 

[23] 



PERRY S VICTORY CENTENNIAL SOUVENIR 

Captain Morrison, spent several hours inspecting the historic relic. 
The hull was then set squarely into position, blocked up from the 
shore, with a proper bed and ways constructed. The lines of the 
vessel, with all her principal dimensions, etc., had been taken and 
transferred to a temporary mold loft. 

These lines and other data were transferred by Captain Morrison 
and Ensign Kessler of the " Wolverine," and the drawings are here 
given. They show how advanced was the art of ship-building a 
hundred years ago, as practiced by Henry Eckford and Noah Brown. 
They are wonderfully " fair and sweet " lines. On April 7 the plank- 
ing on the sides of the " Niagara " was intact, as shown in the 
photographs taken April 2; and as I stood at her stern-post, where 




THE LIXES OF THE "NIAGARA," STERX VIEW 

she lay blocked and erect, and saw her graceful and beautiful sides, 
I realized with a wondering thrill the truth expressed by Lieutenant- 
Governor Burchard at her launching, that she was " built like a 
ship and modeled like a yacht." 

She was, indeed, built on the lines of our famous clipper ships 
of that period, the wonders of the world, but skilfully adjusted to 
the shallow waters of Lake Erie, with a shallow draft. With her 
sails up she could undoubtedly scud before a fresh breeze, — sailing- 
qualities which served her and us well in the battle of Lake Erie. 
Whether or not the projecting bolt in her keel, dragging the seaweed 
which abounds in the lake at the season when the battle was fought, 
retarded her movements while the earlier, lighter airs prevailed, 

[24] 




u * 



« J. i 



THE NIAGARA KEEPSAKE 

certainly, after Commodore Perry reached her deck and the breeze 
freshened, the swiftness with which she, responding to his will, came 
up and broke through the British line, before the "Queen " and the 
Detroit " could get disentangled, decided the issue of the battle. 
I was also struck by the staunch and rugged timbers built into 
the " Niagara." A forest was spoiled to make her. The rib between 
every frame was (is, for these ribs are still in her) a " natural knee." 
Trees forking at a proper angle were selected and cut down so as 
to afford this natural bend, giving the old brig wonderful strength 
and ability to bear shocks and strains. Her keel is of black oak 




THE SPAR PLAN OF THE "NIAGARA" 

timber, fourteen by eighteen inches, remarkably preserved. It has 
been used in its entirety in the rebuilding, as has most of the keelson, 
which is ot timber ten by twelve inches. The frames are twelve 
inches wide at the keel, with a center distance of twenty-one and a 
half inches. The planking was of three-inch oak. 

Her hull was held together by wooden pins, " tree-nails," and 
hand-hammered wrought-iron spikes — materials as substantia] as the 
solid timbers they fastened. While some oakum was used, the brig 
was largely calked with lead, a novel feature explained by the state 
ment of Noah P>rown that oakum was hard to get. The lead made 
her absolutely secure and water tight. 

The steeler in the dead wood aft, instead of being of planks, 



perry's VICTORY CENTENNIAL COUVENIR 



was carved out of a single piece of wood. From stem to stern-post the 
" Niagara " is one hundred and eighteen feet long, has a thirty-foot 
beam, and a draft of about nine feet. 

She was rebuilt and ready to launch in two months' time, April 
7 to lime 7, 1913; and as rebuilt, contains an unexpectedly large 
amount of her original timbers — keel, keelson, ribs or frame in all 
the lower part of the hull, stern-post, bow-stem, and a large part 
of her planking. By their long immersion in the water her timbers 
were simply embalmed and preserved. Her lines and dimensions were 
perfectly obtained from her as she came up, and great spikes still 



O 







PLAN OF THE EIGHTEEN THIRTY-TWO POUND CARRONADES FOR THE 
ARMAMENT OF THE " NIAGARA " 

standing in her keelson marked the exact position of her two masts. 
The arrangement of her gun-ports was also abundantly evident on 

her port side. 

As rebuilt she is still, in every essential, the old war-bng of 
1813; and Perry, were he here, would recognize her with astonish- 
ment, delight, and deep emotion. We have the pleasure of repro- 
ducing four old bayonets and three cannon shot, found in her hold, 
together with two old ax-heads, which show the scars of eighty years' 
subjection to the chemical elements at work at the bottom of Misery 
Bay. 

[23] 



THE NIAGARA KEEPSAKE 



The " Niagara " was armed with eighteen thirty-two pound car- 
ronades, with two long twelve-pound guns, as "chasers," well for- 
ward in the bow. As rebuilt she has been given the same armament, 
her present guns being designed and cast, under the direction of 



.Q 



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PLAN OF THE TWO LONG TWELVE-POUNDERS OF THE "NIAGARA'S" ARMAMENT 

Captain Morrison, as duplicates of the originals — of cast iron, with 
elevation adjustments effected by the wedge method. The gun barrel 
has a cast loop on its larger side which holds the barrel in the form 
of a trunion by means of a long bolt. The entire gun and gun car- 
riage swing on a provided bolt, and the entire machine swings in 

[29] 



PERRY S VICTORY CENTENNIAL SOUVENIR 

horizontal range about this bolt, being supported in the rear of the 
carriage by four-inch rollers. 

Visitors, who go aboard the " Niagara " and also aboard the 
••Wolverine" (formerly the "Michigan"), which will tow the 
" Niagara " from port to port, will be able to contrast the guns on 
the two vessels — these crude guns of the War of 1812 with the arma- 
ments of to-day, with their intricate telescopic sights, electric lights for 
night firing, electrically-operated parts, etc. 

Net with these crude guns heroes fought and won, and we re- 
gard them with more of reverence than curiosity. 

Is it any wonder that in these celebrations every eye shall turn 
to the " Niagara "? Not alone is she the symbol of a great victory, 
but the actual instrument. Her stout timbers, her guns, her com- 
mander, her men, won it. On to triumph her strong masts carried 
Perry's proud colors. And now, out of her grave arisen, she meets 
us, a Veteran of the War of 1812, one hundred years old. We 
greet her with reverence; we gaze upon her with awe — with affection; 
and shall we not prize and cherish her staunch old timbers while 
one stick remains upon another? 




BELL FROM THE CAPTURED " OUEEN CHARLOTTE." SUBSEQUENTLY USED ON THE 
" NIAGARA," AND NOW HANGING IN THE CITY HALL AT ERIE 

The "Niagara" Keepsake— Perry's Victory Centennial Souvenir Series. 
Copyright, 1913, oy The Journal of American History. 




FOUR BAYONETS AND THREE ROUND SHOT -RELICS OF THE BATTLE OF LAKE 

HOLD OF THE " NIAGARA " 

The "Niagara" Keepsake — Perry's Victory Centennial Souvi nit Serii s 
Copyright, 1913, uy The Journal of American History. 



ERIE— FOUND IN THE 




JUST BEFORE THE LAUNCHING— GREAS ING THE WAYS OR "BUTTER BOARDS' 

The "Niagara" Keepsake— Perry's Victory Centennial Souvenir Series. 
Copyright, 1913, oy The Journal of American History. 



©tjp ^rronb ICaitttrlrtng nf thr "Niagara" 

She Host iDramatir latent in All tljr ?Jrrry (Crlcbratimta jt iExartltt (fihtf 
Sjunbrrn Wears to a iHuutlj After i^er Original IGaunrliing in tlje iCittle 
frontier |Iust nf iErir, |Icrry'a SUayalyu Again ^libes Okarefully Dmmt 
tlje Maya anb SUbea, pnmb ana Ihiouant, liumt tlje Sake Ulurlj S'be 
Unit fur Ha by t^er (Sanuty Wounba 




The Editor of The Journal of American History 




ROWDS were not present. The scene was not 
boisterous. But, if 1 may judge from my own feel- 
ing's, a solemn exultation filled the hearts of those 
who watched as, for the second time in her history, 
the famous old " Niagara " left her place on the shore 
of Erie Harbor and slid gracefully into the water. 
One moment she stood motionless against the green screen of the 
forest; the next, she had dipped into the bosom of the bay. 

The morning of June 7, I'd 3, broke cloudy and threatening; 
rain fell. It seemed at first not a propitious day for the launching, 
but, as the appointed time drew on, the day grew brighter and 
brighter. The writer was one of those carried over to the 
scene of the launching by Lieutenant Nick in the steamer of the 
" Wolverine." Although the " Niagara " had been partially shifted 
over on her port side, inclining toward the beautiful green woods 
behind her, yet how proudly she loomed up as we approached her. 

We landed and inspected her carefully, and then took to our 
boat again and gained a position just beyond and to one side of the 
point to which she might slide. The men were greasing the ways 
or " butter boards " down which she was to glide on her side to the 
element for which she had been re-created. Very appropriately the 
" Commodore Perry," belonging to the State Fishery Commission, 
stood ready to assist by gentle pulling at a huge line the other end 
of which was passed about the brig. 

[33] 



PERRY S VICTORY CENTENNIAL SOUVENIR 



One by one the men removed the props from the " Niagara's " 
starboard side until she seemed without support. We watched, and 
suddenly, following a signal from the " Commodore Perry," the two 
lines that held her were cut. She started and swiftly and gracefully 
glided down like a thing alive. There were shouts; whistles began 
to blow; and then, suddenly, the brig stopped when half way down 
and not much more than twenty feet from the shore. Here she 
stood erect, as proud as ever, but grounded in shallow water. 

For the moment great disappointment was felt. But was not 
the " Niagara " simply again making history and finally establishing 




Till-: "NIAGARA" STRIKING THE WATER AT HER LAUNCHING, JUNE 7, 1913 

her identity? Did not Perry have trouble in getting her over the 
bar in 1813? And in the battle, did she not hold back at first, and 
at the critical moment sweep forward and win? Assuredly it was 
the same old " Niagara," with a will and a way of her own. 

In vain, therefore, with ends of the broken line mended, did 
the " Commodore Perry " tug and strain to get her off. The hawser 
parted again. Another light-draft tug was brought out and two 
lines hitched to the " Niagara; " but with two tugs straining at her 
the " Niagara " still seemed to keep her proud position. And so it 
was until late afternoon. As a matter of fact, however, inch by inch 
she moved eight feet into deeper water. 










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THE NIAGARA KEEPSAKE 

At thirty-six minutes after ten, A. M., the " Niagara " half 
launched herself; and at twenty minutes after six, P. M., she sud- 
denly started again, lightly and nonchalantly finishing her journey 
into deep water— as if the entire affair had been a pleasant joke. 

Meantime, in the morning, finding that the " Niagara " might 
not be brought off at once, the launching exercises were carried 
through. We stood on the shore of Misery Bay, at the edge of the 
green woods, on the spol the " Niagara " had shortly before 
vacated. The hand played patriotic airs. General Sisson delivered 
a very fitting opening address. Miss Sarah Reed. Regent of Presque 
Isle Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, spoke 
eloquently for the Daughters, presenting a portrait of Commodore 
Perry for the cabin of the " Niagara." Mr. Wilson Root Bushnell 
sang "Don't Give Up the Ship," written by the Editor of The 
Journal of American History. Lieutenant-Governor Burchard 
of Rhode Island followed with a short hut inspired address; after 
which Mr. Shreve, Congressman and Perry Commissioner, de- 
livered an address of great historical interest." 

These papers are not dwelt upon here, hut are given in full 
in the pages immediately following. It will he seen that the spirit 
running through them is one of dedication and consecration, at this 
time when we recall our heroes, many of whom died for us, while 
all offered themselves for the sacrifice should Providence so ordain. 

With such memories, and with such thoughts stirring those 
who have had to do with the raised and renewed vessel, the grand 
old "Niagara" goes forth to greet the children's children of those 
who fought, and those who died, upon her stalwart deck. Max- 
she tell us all a story of the seriousness of the life we are in, and 
make us great of heart. 

The final launching of the " Niagara " in the evening was not 
without dramatic beauty. Not many of those present in the morning 
witnessed it. [was at the time in attendance upon a meeting of the 
Pennsylvania Commissioners, in General Sisson's office, where some 
details connected with the present hook were decided. Afterwards 
I accompanied General Sisson to the Reed House where he was to 
meet Governor Burchard. T went up to my room and looked out 
through one of its north windows, over the roofs of Erie, over Erie 
Harbor, and over Misery Pay to its far shore, where I had been 
able daily to see the light-colored bulwarks and dark hull of the 
" Niagara " against the woods. I did not see them now. She was 
gone ! 

[37] 



PERRY S VICTORY CENTENNIAL SOUVENIR 

I hastened down and informed General Sisson that I believed 
they had brought her off. I shall never forget the bright smile of 
relief that lit his face; and when I offered to go out and make certain, 
1 am sure he could have blessed me. I had not far to go. The 
" Niagara " had just completed her launching and had been brought 
in. I carried the welcome tidings to General Sisson and Governor 
Burchard, and we felt that the day was like the golden sunshine in 
which it set. 

The relief shown by General Sisson gave me a glimpse of the 
burden he had been carrying. A remark he had made a night or 
two before came back to me — that the raising and rebuilding of the 
" Niagara " was almost as serious as the battle of Lake Erie. They 
at least have this in common — both have turned out to be great 
victories. We all, — the State of Pennsylvania and the whole country, 
— owe a debt of gratitude to General Sisson, and 1 feel sure we shall 
find some way to pay it. 

1 learn from eye-witnesses that when the " Niagara " completed 
her journey down the ways, at 6:20 P. M., she glided into deep 
water like a spirit, and slowly performed several complete revolu- 
tions, as if bowing to the shore she had left, and saluting the entire 
country, as well as her late enemy, Canada to the north. A few- 
moments later the " Commodore Perry " was gently leading her to- 
ward the Public Landing of Erie. Such pleasure craft as were on the 
scene saluted her with their whistles, but they were not many. The 
band that had gone over to escort her in the morning had long since 
disappeared. 

But at this moment James Cavenaugh found a piccolo in one of 
the little boats, and at once sent the bars of " The Star-Spangled 
Banner" out over the bay; and to this simple eloquent strain the 
" Niagara " rode in to her mooring. 

So may it he throughout the summer, and throughout all her 
years. Full bands will salute her. She deserves it. But amid all 
this, may we not forget. On the sweet notes of the piccolo may the 
" Niagara " send the music of the Star-Spangled Banner deep down 
into our hearts. 




WOOD FROM THE " LAWRENCE," HELD BY THE BUFFALO HISTORICAL SOCIETY 

The '■Niagara" Keepsake — Perry's Victory Centennial Souvenir Series 
Copyright, 1913. Dy The Journal of American History. 




IENJAMIN FLEMING, SAILOR ABOARD THE "NIAGARA" IN THE BATTLE OF LAKE ERIE, Wild DIED 
IN 1870, ACEII !iii, LAST SURVIVOR Hi' THE FLEET LIVING AT ERIK 



The "Niagara" Keepsake — Perrj 's \ ictory Centennial Souvi nir Series. 
Copyright, 1913, i.y 1 he Ji.urn.il of American History. 




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Iflbnt the lEucmrr Wna Exultant mh Sluutgbt %i %vfo 
•UUut the iBattle, (Commoaure JJcrry GJrattHfcrrrn i^ts 
JFlan In tltr "Niagara," anil in from jFtftmt to 
iEinljtmt fflimttrs. iflaiif the ^tars ana ^triors (fiflm- 
olrtrlu IftrtnrioUB 



HONORABLE A. E. SISSON 

President nf the Board of the Perry's Victory Centennial Commissioners fir the State of Pennsylvania 
Treasurer-General of the Inter-State Board, and late Auditor -General of the State of Pennsylvania 

[At the launching of the "Niagara.*' June 7. 191 '] 




E have re-launched Commodore Perry's < )ld Flag-Ship, 
the " Niagara," and 1 )aughters of the American Revo- 
lution and members of the Society of the War of 1812 
are here to welcome the Brig as it returns to these 
northern waters in the process of being restored to its 
former condition. It was built here one hundred years 
ago with five others of the nine ships composing Commodore Perry's 
fleet — the " Lawrence," " Niagara," " Ariel," " Scorpion," ' Tigress," 
and " Porcupine." The first three were built at Cascade Run, near 
the Pittsburg Docks, and the latter three at Lee's Run, just above 
the old Gas House. They carried forty-eight of the fifty-four guns 
of Perrv's fleet. 

This fleet was built for a purpose. Its errand was to defeat and 
drive from these waters the British fleet under Commodore Barclay 
and regain dominion and control thereof for the United States. How 
well it performed that errand has been history for a century. The 
fleet left Erie on August 12, 1813, in search of the enemy, and in one 
month from that time it returned to Erie with its errand fulfilled. 

My purpose is to have you glance hastily with me at Commodore 
Perr}- and the " Niagara " at the end of the battle in which they took 
such a conspicuous part. It was fought, you will remember, near 
Put-in-Bav, where a memorial is in process of construction, on Sep- 



perry's victory centennial souvenir 

tember 10, 1813, beginning at fifteen minutes before noon of that 
day. The presence of tbe " Niagara," now here before our eyes, 
tends to increase our interest in tbe exact pari this historic vessel 
took in the battle. 

Before 3 :00 o'clock, P. M., tbe " Lawrence," tbe sister ship of the 
" Niagara," which had, with Commodore Perry in command, borne 
tbe brunt of tbe battle up to that time and withstood tbe concentrated 
lire of the whole British fleet, was disabled — eighty-three of the one 
hundred and three men on board were killed or wounded; the deck 
was slippery with blood, which ran down tbe sides of the ship; the 
wounded aiid the dead lay thickly strewn everywhere around; every 
o-un in the ship's battery, on the enemy's side, was dismounted ; every 
brace line had been shot away, and the vessel had become unmanage- 
able. Commodore Perry then transferred bis flag to tbe " Niagara," 
reaching her deck at fifteen minutes before 3:00 o'clock. At that 
time the enemy was exultant and thought he had the battle won. 

In from fifteen to eighteen minutes from that time, Commodore 
Perry had, with the " Niagara," cut the British line — passing between 
the "Lady Prevost " and the " Chippewa," on his left, and the " De- 
troit " and " Queen Charlotte " on bis right. He raked the " Lady 
Prevost," at half pistol shot, with his port broadside, and poured his 
full starboard broadside on the " Detroit " and " Queen Charlotte." 
The carnage on board all of the British ships was terrific. 

Barclay was wounded. Tbe Commander of tbe " Queen Char- 
lotte" was killed, and the second officer in rank was wounded. Tbe sur- 
vivors of tbe " Lady Prevost " had fled below, leaving on deck the 
Commander, who bad received a severe wound in the head. The 
" Detroit " was practically dismantled. The " Queen Charlotte " was 
the first to surrender, and the " Detroit " and " Lady Prevost " 
quickly followed The "Chippewa" and the "Hunter" tried to 
escape, but were overhauled and brought back. Thus, within eighteen 
minutes from tbe time her new commander reached her deck, this 
ship turned defeat into victory and won one of tbe most conspicuous 
victories in tbe naval history of tbe world; and the Nations, there 
contributing, since that battle was fought have been blessed with 
one hundred years of peace between them. 



[42] 




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SARAH A. REED 

Regent of Presque Isle Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, of Erie, Pennsylvania 

[Address at the launching of the old war-briff, "Niagara, "June 7, 1913. accompanying the presentation by the 
"Daughters" of Presque Isle Chapter of a Portrait of Commodore Perry to be hung in the cabin of the " Niagara"] 

1' has been in years past, and will always lie, the special 
mission of "The Daughters of the American Revo- 
lution" to hold in reverent memory the names and 
deeds of the men who won fur themselves and for us, 
their descendants, that priceless heritage of freedom 
which forms the foundation stone of our great Re- 
public. No intelligent student of history regards the war, commonly 
spoken of as *' The War of 1812," other than as the grand final of 
the "Revolutionary War;" for not until "The Treat}' of Ghent" 
was signed, in 1814, did England really relinquish her claim upon 
the colonies, and not til! then was our Republic left free to carve out 
for herself the great destiny that in a little over a century has placed 
the United States of America among the world's great and influential 
nations. 

So we feel that we have a right to claim Oliver Hazard Perry 
as one of the heroes of that great struggle that brought constitutional 
liberty to the whole Anglo-Saxon race. And this old battle-ship, that 
has risen from her century of repose beneath the waters of Presque 
Isle Bay, has a mission to perform. She is to go up and down the 
chain of Great Lakes and remind a new generation of the price paid 
by our forefathers for the freedom we enjoy to-day. 

[45] 



perry's victory centennial souvenir 

She will help to make Commodore Perry and his brave seamen 
seem real actors in the great drama of the building of our nation. So 
we welcome the battleship " Niagara " back to the waters through 
which she rode to victory in 1813, and honor the staunch old timers 
that helped to make the British lion bow to the American eagle. 

We, daughters of the American Revolution, wish to thank the 
men who have helped this old ship to renew her youth ; and as her 
brave Commander can not come back in person to walk her rejuve- 
nated decks and guide her back to the scene of her victory, we have 
come to beg the privilege of placing his portrait on the ship that 
shares, with him, the immortal honor, not only of winning a great 
Naval victory, but of helping, by that victory, to bring on an era 
of peace with the Mother country, so that we can celebrate the close 
of a century of harmony and good will with our brothers across the 
sea, and join hands with them in that great world-wide movement 
that is striving to hasten on the blessed day when war shall cease in 
all the world. 




A PIECE OF WOOD FROM THE "LAWRENCE," PRESERVED BY THE BUFFALO HISTORICAL SOCIETY 



The "Niagara" Keepsake — Perry's Victory Centennial Souvenir Series. 
Copyright, 1913, oy The Journal of American History. 





LIVER H. PERRY ) 















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z£*i£2 



THE VICTOR OF LAKE ERIE, FROM A PORTRAIT, AFTER IARVIS. FRAMED IN WOOD FROM TIIF 
"LAWRENCE," IN THE RHODE ISLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY 

The "Niagara" Keepsake — Perry's Victory Centennial Souvenir Series. 
Copyright, WV3, uy The Journal of American History. 







JSffUtn/ffH sc 4 



u 



JiVMES l^VWKE^JCK K SQ 



'///V- ^ //^ United <Jtate<J xA&ru 






THE HERO OF THE ■CHESAPEAKE," WHO GAVE HIS NAME TO OXE OF PERRY'S BRIGS AND 
HIS DYING WORDS TO PERRY'S FIGHTING FLAG 

The "Niagara" Keepsake — Perry's Victory Centennial Souvenir Series. 
Copyright, 1913, Dy The Journal of American History. 



"imt't (Biw Ip % g>btu!" 

${}? ffernj Itrtoru (Unttrnmal £>mtg 



BY 



The Editor of The Journal of American History 

[Sun? by Wilson Root Bushnell. baritone, at the launcliine of the " Niagara," June 7. 1913. and by the Erie. 

Pennsylvania, High School Chorus, six hundred voices, led by Dr. Charles G. Woolsey, before the et nd- 

stand on " Mothers' and Children's Day." at Erie, July 8, 1913] 

I 

Heirs of the heroes, stout of heart and hip, 

Gird us to stand, the realm they won to hold, 
God of the Sweet Land, with the brave and bold 

Lawrence and Perry, shouting, " Don't give up the ship! 

II 

Heirs of the strong men, great of soul and grip, 
Gird us to stand, the freedom wrought to hold, 
God of the Sweet Land, with the brave and hold 

Lawrence and Perry, shouting, " Don't give up die ship! 

Ill 

Heirs of the sweet dames, pure in faith and lip, 
Gird us to stand, the love they gave to hold, 
God of the Sweet Land, with the brave and bold 

Lawrence and Perry, shouting, " Don't give up the ship! 



IV 

Heirs of the Fair Flag, Stripes and Starry Dip, 
Gird us to stand, its glory stainless hold, 
God of the Sweet Land, with the brave and hold 

Lawrence and Perry, shouting, " Don't give up the ship! 

Chorus 
Faith of the fathers, shall we let thee slip? — 
hand of the glory of the Starry Dip! 
Love less the Sweet Land of the Fair Flag? Never! 
Till death from life the immortal echo sever. 
Rolled from dying Lawrence into living Perry's lip, 

" Don't give up the ship! " 
By God's strong Heart, we trust in ever, 
Never ! Never ! 

We won't give up the ship! 




LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR BURCHARD DELIVERING HIS ADDRESS AT THE 
LAUNCHING OF THE "NIAGARA" 

The "Niagara" Keepsake — Perry's Victory Centennial Souvenir Series. 
Copyright, iyi:i, oy The Journal of American History. 





9fgmfirmtr? nf tli? iEatsttuj m\h 9?bmtfimg 
of tli? "Niagara" 

(§n lite Bta attu on tlir ICakca, fftarkutg lite lEaatf nt attii 
Western (Umtfittfa of tbr (UnUuttra, Hmutarrratrii aub 
2lruc&iratf& aa j^ltrtnra at |Jatriatiaut, Myall 3Flnat Ituiut 
the |Irarrful Uatrra bu, the Ibarra that Sljcu DrtVtthru, llje 
Jmiinrihlc (Dli "(£unatttutuiu" anil tije iKcuoubtabb? 

"Ntanara" 




HONORABLE ROSWELL B. BURCHARD 

Lieutenant-Governor of the State of Rhode Island 
[At the Launching of the risen, battle-scarred veteran of the War of 1812, the old " Niagara," June 7. 19H] 

AUGHTERS of the American Revolution, Members 
of the Commission, and patriotic friends here as- 
sembled: — Now that this famous battleship, rebuilt 
and rejuvenated, is ready to be launched again into 
the embrace oi her native and familiar waters, we 
have gathered to show our appreciation of this revered 
relic of heroic days and to do homage to the men who built her and 
drove her, through a baptism of fire and blood, to victory and to glory. 
Rhode Island, the State of Perry's nativity, and whose soil en- 
shrines his venerated dust, gladly participates in this tribute to the 
memory of her distinguished son and of your forefathers who fol- 
lowed him into the fight. 

It is hard to realize that when this ship was built here, a hundred 
years ago, your now great and prosperous city was a lakeside settle- 
ment of less than five hundred people, and that they comprised half 
the dwellers on this side of the lake. It is harder still to appreciate 
that the destinies of our nation hung upon the fate of these little 
vessels, no larger than the yachts that only half a century later were 
raced across the ocean for sport. 

The practical lesson taught by Perry's victory, — the same that 

[51] 



PERRY S VICTORY CENTENNIAL SOUVENIR 

was taught again at Santiago, — is that preparedness, backed by valor, 
leads to victory ; and that one is impotent without the other. 

Let no one imagine, as I think many of us have done, that the 
little ships of Perry's fleet were makeshifts, crudely framed and 
knocked together by the woodmen of Lake Erie. The highest skill 
entered into their design and construction, and the people of this com- 
munity, your progenitors, led by Captain Daniel Dobbins, share with 
Perry' in the credit due for the heroic effort to build a fleet of de- 
fenders whose exploit was destined to place the names of the 
" Lawrence '* and the " Niagara," along with the " Bonne Homme 
Richard," the " Constitution," and the " Chesapeake," among the 
watchwords of American Patriotism. 

To the performance of this task your people of Presque Tsle 
brought the highest naval skill from the East. The best was what 
they wanted and what they obtained. The foremost ship designer 
and builder of his time at New York, Henry Eckford, designed these 
vessels, and Noah Brown of New York, one of the ablest master ship- 
wrights in the country, came to superintend the work; and the grace- 
ful modelling and skilful construction of this vessel [pointing to the 
" Niagara "] show the guiding of the master hand. 

To assist in the building and rigging of the fleet, ship carpenters, 
one hundred and fifty of them, T understand, were brought from 
New York, and block and sail-makers and riggers came from Phila- 
delphia. And this vessel, as she stands upon her native shore this 
morning, reveals the form of a graceful, little clipper-ship, properly 
fashioned for the navigation of these waters and for the work she 
was destined to perform; her topsides cumbered, of course, with bul- 
warks and ports for the purpose of combat, — but, nevertheless, a 
vessel built like a ship and modelled like a yacht. 

It is a matter of lasting pride to the people of the State that T 
have the honor to represent here to-day, that, besides Perry, she sent 
to your assistance over one hundred and fifty sailormen from Narra- 
gansett Bay; and your native pioneers, men of hardihood and cour- 
age, with this alliance and the aid of the sharpshooters from Ohio 
and Kentucky, gave into the command of Perry a force which his 
masterful discipline and inspiring leadership quickly moulded into a 
little navy ready to face any odds or to meet any fate. 

An event is made momentous not so much by the magnitude of 
armaments as by the fortitude and the valor of men ; and an admiring 
and grateful nation, during the anniversary upon which you are 
entering, will render due homage to the men of Presque Isle who 

[52] 




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THE NIAGARA KEEPSAKK 

converted their forest trees into a navy, and a band of volunteer sea- 
men and riflemen into naval heroes, who met and conquered a superior 
fleet led by a commander trained in the art of war under Nelson, 
a veteran of Trafalgar Bay, and who, for the first time in history, 
wrought the annihilation of an English fleet. 

The thunder of Perry's cannon proclaimed upon your inland 
seas the Rhode Island watchword, " Hope." In the hour of dire de 
spondency, when Winchester had surrendered and the army of the 
northwest had been rent asunder, when the savage and merciless ioe 
were at your doors, and when the gloom of defeat hung like a pall 
over the land, it was the flame flashing from these bulwarks that 
rekindled the fires of National glory, revived the languishing spirit 
of 1776 in the breasts of men, and turned the shame of Detroit .and 
Mackinac into the triumphs of the Thames, Niagara, and Lundy's 
Lane. The invading army was annihilated, the infamous Proctor 
put to flight, the warrior Tecumptha slain, and British control over 
the Indian allies forever broken. 

Gentlemen of the Perry Centennial Commission, you have done 
well in restoring this memorable relic of the prowess of your fore- 
fathers. Our grateful appreciation is due especially to your Presi 
dent. General Sisson, who ardently has pushed the well-conceived 
idea to success, and to Captain Morrison of the Pennsylvania Naval 
Reserves, who so ably has carried out this labor of sentiment and 
devotion. 

On the sea and on the lakes, marking the eastern and western 
confines of the colonies, reconstructed and rededicated as shrines of 
patriotism, shall float upon the peaceful waters by the shores that 
they defended, the invincible old " Constitution " and the redoubtable 
" Niagara." Youthful feet shall tread their decks and youthful eyes 
shall kindle at the recollection of Lawrence's message and of Homes' 
verse. 

These precious relics, lovingly preserved by a grateful posterity, 
will carry down a message from the patriotic fathers to succeeding 
generations, — the message heard at Monterey and Buena Vista, at 
Sumpter and Antietam, at Santiago and Manila Bay, — that American 
valor is ever equal to cope with impending peril, against odds how e\ er 
appalling, when humanity or the love of country calls patriots to arms. 

[Note by the Editor of The Journal of American History.] 
Governor Burchard's beautiful words, linking together the two 
old war veterans, the "Constitution" and the "Niagara," recall 

[55] 



PERRY S VICTORY CENTENNIAL SOUVENIR 

Lincoln's immortal utterance on the field of Gettysburg, and remind 
us that we, the living expression of the patriotism which these old 
vessels symbolize, must everywhere, throughout the Nation, reconse- 
crate and rededicate ourselves, at these shrines, to carry on the great 
work bequeathed to us by our fathers, in the spirit in which they 
began it. 

A bit of history is interesting in this connection. Governor 
Burchard arrived at Erie on June 6, the day before the launching of 
the " Niagara," and sent a telegram, a copy of which follows: 

" Erie, Pa., June 6, 1913. 
" To the Secretary of the Navy, 

" Washington, D. C. 

" I respectfully suggest that instructions be wired to the Charles- 
town Navy Yard that the old Constitution dress ship to-morrow in 
honor of the launching of Perry's Niagara. 

" R. B. BURCHARD." 

To the above Governor Burchard received the following reply 
from the Secretary of the Navy: 

" Washington, D. C, June 7, 1913. 
" Hon. R. B. Burchard, 

" Reed House, Erie, Pa. 

" Replying to telegram regret Constitution is out of commission 
and personnel not available to commission, in which status vessel 
must he to permit dressing ship. 

"DANIELS." 




THE LITTLE SILVER SNUFF-BOX CARRIED IN 
PERRY'S WAISTCOAT POCKET AND AFTER- 
WARDS GIVEN TO HIS COUSIN. DEBORAH 
PERRY, WHOSE GRANDDAl'GHTER, MRS. 
SKINNER, OF ERIE, NOW OWNS IT 

The "Niagara" Keepsake — Perry's Virtory Centennial Souvenir Series. 
Copyright, 1!)13, by The Journal of American History. 








— H 




CAPTAIN DANIEL DOBBINS, THE HERO OF ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA, WHO FORGED THE SWORD 
WITH WHICH PERRY SWEPT THE BRITISH FROM THE LAKES 

The ••Niagara" Keepsake — Perry's Victory Centennial Souvenir Series. 
Copyright, 1913, py The Journal of American History. 



;K. 



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El)? Jssttrs at #iak? tit % lattle cf ICak? iErtr 

©he Mvn Uljo lutlt attu jfaiujtit % iFlert ano % 

Hmonrtaurr of Slirir TUtrtoru, ^ ©he Aims of (great 

Britain Scuralpo in % Negotiations (Honnerirn 

Mith the ulreatu of (Stent 



'^SS 



HONORABLE MILTON W. SHREVE 

Member of Ihe Board of Perry's Vicrory Centennial Commissioners for the State of Pennsylvania, member of the 
Executive Committee of the Intet-State Board, and Member of Congress from the Erie District of Pennsylvania 

[At the launching of the " Niagara." June 7. 19B] 




HE impressment of our seamen by Great Britain, her 
disregard of neutral rights and unwarrantable seizure 
of our merchant marine, so inflamed the public mind 
that on June 18, 1812, the Congress of the United 
States declared war against the United Kingdom of 
0^31^3 Great Britain and Ireland. This famous ship, now- 
being launched for the second time, played an important part in that 
war. 

The first nine months of war had witnessed the fall of Detroit, 
the evacuation of Fort Dearborn, and the massacre of the River 
Raisin. In fact the events of the war up to the early part of 1813 
had been particularly disastrous, and the settlers of the frontier were 
left practically defenseless from the savage outrages of the Indians. 
This impressive ceremony recalls two characters that stand out 
pre-eminently in the history of this historic ship — Captain Daniel 
Dobbins, who first apprised the National Government of the situation 
on the Great Lakes in the summer of 1812; and Commodore Terry, 
who won the splendid victory in the Battle of Lake Erie, September 
10, 1813. 

Captain Dobbins, a resident of Erie, then a hamlet of four or 
five hundred, with the schooner " Salina," was lying in the harbor 
at Mackinac during the summer of 1812, when that post was captured 
by the British. His schooner fell into the hands of the enemy and 

[59] 



perry's victory centennial souvenir 

it was with difficulty that lie made his way hack to Erie. On his 
return he immediately reported to General Mead, and was at once 
dispatched to Washington, where President Madison was so taken 
with his appearance that he called a meeting of his Cabinet, before 
whom Captain Dobbins gave in detail his experience and strongly 
urged the President and Cabinet to lose no time in fortifying the 
frontier border on the Great Lakes and to begin the construction of 
a fleet to meet the advances of the enemy. 

Captain Dobbins, as a result of this meeting, was commissioned 
Sailing-master in the Navy; was given $2,000, and ordered to return 
to Erie to begin the construction of a fleet. He immediately sought 
the services of Noah Brown, one of the most skilful shipbuilders of 
his time, and together they began building the fleet, the six vessels not 
being completed for ten months thereafter. 

In the spring of 1813, General Proctor, Commander of the 
British forces, was assembling his army, augmented by several thou 
sand Indians, on the northern shore of Lake Erie, while General 
Harrison, Commander of the American forces, was camped near San- 
dusky with a bodv of men most of whom were Kentuckians. Com- 
modore Barclay was reconstructing his fleet at Maiden, and the 
American fleet was being built in the landlocked harbor of Erie. It 
was evident that a great battle was soon to take place on Lake Erie, 
and Commodore Perry, a young man of twenty-six, asked the War 
Department to be assigned to service on the Great Lakes. 

Before making the perilous trip to Erie, in March, 1813, he had 
been twelve Years before the mast as midshipman, lieutenant, captain, 
and post-commandant, and, just prior to his departure for Erie, had 
charge of a flotilla of seventeen gunboats in the harbor of Newport. 
He was fully equipped for the important position assigned him, and 
impartial historians have given him a place among naval heroes which 
time cannot destroy. 

Oliver Hazard Perry was born on the 23rd of August. 1785, at 
South Kingston, Rhode Island. The chief characteristics of Oliver's 
early vears were an uncommon share of beauty, a sweetness and 
gentleness of disposition, and a perfect disregard for danger. At 
an early age he learned to read under the tuition of his mother, ami 
was removed to a private school for the education of the children 
of the neighborhood. Afterwards he was sent to Tower Hill, distant 
four miles from Judge Perry's farm, where Oliver's father continued 
to reside. He was so proficient in his studies that his father, desiring 
to secure for his children a better education titan South Kingston 
afforded, established his family at Newport. 

[60] 




PERRY'S till. ASS AM) BELT, SUPPOSEDLY WORN IX Till-". RATTLE OF LAKE ERIE, GIVEN To 

HIS COUSIN, DEBORAH PERRY ROBINSON, AND NOW OWNED l'.\ III R 

GRANDDAUGHTER, MRS. SKINNER, OF ERIE 

The "Niagara" Keepsake — Perry's Victory Centennial Souvenir Series. 
Copyright, 1913, D> The Journal of American History. 




THE JACKET IN WHICH PERRY FOUGHT THE BATTLE OF LAKE ERIE 
From the Original Garment in the Custody of the Rhode Island Historical Society 

The "Niagara" Keepsake— Perry's Victory Centennial Souvenir Series. 
Copyright, 1913, Dy The Journal of American History 



THE NIAGARA KEEPSAKE 

Here Oliver was placed in the private school of Mr. Frazer, under 
whose careful and judicious tuition he made rapid progress in' all his 
studies. In Newport Oliver attracted to himself no less attention and 
good will than among his friends in South Kingston. His modesty 
and gracefulness of manner won for him many friends, among the 
number Count Rochambeau, son of the distinguished general of that 
name, who commanded the French Auxiliary Army during our Revo 
lutionary War. This nobleman, being driven by the terrors of the 
Revolution from his own country, had established himself in Newport, 
where his father's previous residence prepared for him many friends. 

Newport offered many attractions to persons of refinement; 
many of the inhabitants were wealthy and highly educated, and the 
tunc of society in which Oliver early mingled was elegant and intel- 
lectual. At eleven years of age he was confirmed in the Eoiscooal 
faith. ' " " ' 

It was Oliver's father's wish that his son should become a naval 
officer, and his school days, though well improved, were short. At 
the age of fourteen he left school to become a seaman. His residence 
in Newport and the occupation of his father brought him much in 
connection with ships and seamen, and blended with his inclination 
lor a military life a desire to make his home upon the sea. (diver's 
name was placed upon the list of midshipmen on board the " General 
Greene" and in April, 1799, he received his warrant, and order to 
report for duty. 

The young midshipman made several cruises with his father, 
llis health and strength increased with life in the open air. He soon 
developed great capacity and courage and participated in the action 
that resulted in the reduction of Jacmel with great credit to himself, 
receiving for his skilled service the approbation of his father. This 
was the last active service of the "General Greene." I'errv then 
served as lieutenant in the Tripolitan wars, in the squadron of Com- 
modore Morris, and later with Commodore Rodgers as lieutenant- 
commander of the United States Schooner, " Revenge," employed to 
prevent infraction of the Embargo Laws. After he returned to 
America, at the conclusion of peace with Tripoli, he served in various 
capacities, proving himself an efficient leader. 

The first service upon which the young Commodore was employed 
alter the commencement of war with England was taking charge of 
a flotilla of gunboats stationed at Newport. This service was not 
strenuous enough to satisfy Perry's deep desire for action. To the 
north on the shores of the great chain of island seas there was an 

163] 



PERRY S VICTORY CENTENNIAL SOUVENIR 

impending conflict. Every indication pointed to the concentration 
of power on the Great Lakes. Terry was impatient, went to Wash- 
ington, and asked to be ordered into active service against the enemy. 
He also wrote Commodore Chauncey and ottered his service. Com- 
modore Chauncey, knowing Perry and his worth, asked the War 
Department to send Perry to Lake Erie, and accordingly, on the 18th 
day of February, 1813, Perry received his orders to proceed to 
Sackett's Harbor with the best men of his Flotilla. So anxious was 
Perry to carry out the order that on the very day, before night-fall, 
he had started bis first detachment of fifty men under one of his 
lieutenants. Two days later another detachment of fifty men fol- 
lowed, and five days later one hundred and fifty men had been dis- 
patched, fully one-third of whom were held on Lake Ontario by 
Chauncey and never reached Erie. 

On February 22nd Perry set out for his command over the 
mountains and hills and through a trackless forest. It was a severe 
journey at that season of the year. Perry had with him his little 
brother, a lad of thirteen, whom he was taking to be a midshipman 
on his ship. After eleven days' traveling, much of the way through 
a dreary country where the only evidence of human life was fleeting 
glimpses of savages as they hovered around the white man's trail, 
the two brothers reached their destination and reported at Sackett's 
Harbor. 

Sackett's Harbor was a mere hamlet possessing a few houses, and 
was the official headquarters of the Army of the North. It is said 
that the principal business of the community was smuggling, and the 
arrival of the United States officials was looked upon with suspicion 
and displeasure. The English were in undisputed control of Lake 
Erie, and at Sackett's Harbor Perry learned that they were pre- 
paring plans for extending the Dominion of Canada along the Ohio 
and Mississippi Rivers to the Gulf, so as permanently to separate 
the United States from the great undeveloped country to the west. 

It was Perry's duty to regain control of Lake Erie, a task that 
would tax his skill and ability as a naval commander to the utmost. 
At the time of his arrival at Sackett's Harbor, it was expected that 
the English would make an attack on the place, so Perry remained 
two weeks to assist in its defense. The attack did not materialize 
and on the 16th of March he set out for Erie. On the 24th he ar- 
rived at Buffalo, and from there made his way in a sleigh to Erie, 
arriving on March 27th. Captain Dobbins, who had been in charge 
of the American naval affairs on the Lake, had, with the assistance 

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PERRY PI >iCES CAPTAIN DOBBINS IN COMMAND OF THE "OHIO" AND INSTRUCTS HIM TO 

l.( M IK ( HI' F( IR PILI ITS 
Fac-simile of the Original in the Custody of the Buffalo Historical Society 



The "Niagara" Keepsake— Perry 's Victory Centennial Souvenir Series. 
Copyright, 1913, "j' I!"-- Journal of American History. 













V.j. 



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THE NIAGARA KEEPSAKE 



of Noah Brown, laid down several vessels which were now nearh 
completed. Maclay, the historian, tells us that the two brigs, 
Niagara " and the " Lawrence," were constructed at the time 
Perry arrived; that they were being built with white and black oak 
and chestnut frames, the outside planking being of oak, while the 
decks were of pine; that many trees found their places in these ves- 
sels the same day they were felled in the forest; that the brigs were 
110 feet over all, and had a 29-foot beam; that the "Lawrence" 




PERRY'S HEADQUARTERS IX ERIE Willi. IC THE M.I I r WAS BUI] DIM; Mil-. OLD GEORGE BUEHLER 
HOUSE, KEPT BY THOMAS REES, Jr., AT THE CORNER OF THIRD AMI FRENCH STREETS 

was so named by order oi the Secretary of the Navy; and that two 
gunboats, nearly planked, were at the mouth >>i Lee's Run, while 
work on the schooner " Scorpion " was just begun. Mckenzie writes: 
In the evening of the twenty-seventh Perry reached Erie, and im- 
mediately called around him the persons engaged in building and 
equipping the squadron. These were Mr. Noah Brown of New York, 
the master shipwright, and Sailing-master Dobbins, who was a resi- 
dent of Erie, and who superintended the construction by direction of 
. Commodore ( "hauncey." 

[67] 



PERRY S VICTORY CENTENNIAL SOUVENIR 

I am satisfied that much of the preliminary work of constructing 
the fleet had been accomplished under Captain Dobbins, and I do not 
find that Perry ever claimed credit for the planning, designing, and 
constructing the ships here referred to. Captain Dobbins, to my 
mind, has never received full credit for the distinguished service he 
rendered his country during that period. 

At the time Perry arrived, satisfactory progress had been made 
in the construction of the ships, and it was practically to their equip- 
ment that Perry turned his attention. Perry at once sent Captain 
Dobbins to Buffalo, and went himself to Pittsburgh in search of 
needed supplies. 

Captain Dobbins was with Perry when he returned from his 
expedition against Fort George, bringing with him the five vessels 
which had been blockaded by the British in the Niagara River. He 
was also with Perry during the engagement of September 10th, 
1813, although not upon the actual scene of battle while the conflict 
was in progress. Sailing-master Dobbins, as he was then called, was 
in charge of the " Ohio," a boat used in supplying the wants of the 
Navy, and at the time of the battle was returning from his second 
trip to Erie for supplies, and it was in consequence of being a few 
miles away from the scene of the conflict that he has been lost sight 
of by the historians. Nevertheless no element in the campaign was 
more essential than this supplying of the munitions of war. 

I will not attempt to follow Perry through the various vicis- 
situdes incident to equipping the fleet and securing men and material 
to man his ships. Neither will I attempt to describe the celebrated 
battle so familiar to every school boy, a battle that brought great 
fame to him who won it. It was the first time a whole British fleet 
had been taken in open conflict. Perry was applauded throughout 
the land. He became a national hero, and so remains to this day. 
The enthusiasm and excitement when the news was received at New- 
port, his home and where his family resided, knew no hounds, and 
all were anxious for his return, but it was not until November that 
he reached Newport. His triumphant march home was a continuous 
ovation, the people seeking every opportunity to honor him. Every 
town from Boston to Savannah praised him. The Legislatures of 
the various states, including Pennsylvania, passed commendatory 
resolutions; Pennsylvania also voted a gold medal, hut it was not 
completed until after the death of the Commodore, and was given 
to his wife on the 29th day of November, 1819, by Col. U. N. Irvine, 
who was intrusted to perform that duty. Medals of every kind were 

[681 



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COMMODORE PERRY'S ORDERS OF SAILING AND CATTLE IX BRINGING THE 1I\ K VESSELS FROM 

BLACK Rl ICK TO ERIE 

Fac-sitnile of the Original 111 the Custody of the Buffalo Historical Society 

The "Niagara" Keepsake — Perry's Victory Centennial Souvenir Series. 
Copyright, 1913, Liy The Journal of American History. 



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SECOND TACK OF PERRY'S SAILING ORDERS, BLACK ROCK TO ERIE 

The "Niagara" Keepsake — Perry's Victory Centennial Souvenir Series. 
Copyright, 1913, rjy The Journal of American History. 



i 



THE NIAGARA KEEPSAKE 

voted Perry. New York City gave him the freedom of the city in 
a gold box, mi the cover of which was a view of the battle he had 
so bravely fought and won. Boston gave him a silver service, and 
his home town gave him a silver vase surmounted with emblematic 
figfures. ( )n one side was engraved a view ot die battle, where I'errv 
was passing from the " Lawrence " to the " Niagara." 

No conquering hero ewer returned with greater honor than did 
Commodore I'errv. During the remaining years of his life he con- 
tinued to uphold the reputation he had won. 

While on a diplomatic mission to South America, on the evening 
of August 23, 1<S1 ( ), his thirty-second birthdav, he died at Trinidad 
of yellow* fever. At five o'clock on the afternoon of the following 
day the body of the dead Commander was laid to rest with military 
honors amid a large concourse of people, all joining with the Ameri- 
can seamen in their sorrow in the great loss the nation had sustained. 
Seven years later the American Government sent a ship of war for 
the honored remains of Perry, and on the early morning of the 
27th of November, 182o, the vessel entered the harbor of Newport 
with its sacred burden. A few days later the body was buried in 
the cemetery at Newport with imposing ceremony, where the State 
of Rhode Island has erected a monument befitting his memory. 

Dr. Usher Parsons, a resident of Providence who was surgeon 
on the "Lawrence," said of I'errv: "His literary acquirements 
were respectable, his taste refined; he united the graces of a manly 
beauty to a lion heart, a sound mind, a safe judgement and a firmness 
of purpose which nothing could shake." 

The first memorial to the memory of Perry and his brave men 
was erected in LSo2 by popular subscription by the people <<\ Cleve- 
land. The inauguration was one of the events of that period. The 
ceremony was inspiring and bequeathed to posterity a rich heritage 
relating to the events of the Battle of Lake Erie. Many distinguished 
Americans who were with Perry participated in that event. The 
old colored lifer was there. Mr. Quinn of Pittsburgh, who made 
the cordage, Captain Browned, who commanded the "Ariel," and 
Dr. Usher Larsons, Surgeon of the flagship " Lawrence," at that 
time the last surviving commissioned officer of the ileet. 

Governor Dennison, who welcomed the Rhode Islanders, quot- 
ing President Madison in speaking of the Battle of Lake Erie, said: 
" It was never surpassed in lustre, however much it may have been 
in magnitude." Governor Sprague, the war governor of Rhode 
Island, who is still living, replied in part as follows: 

[Til 



perry's victory centennial souvenir 

" I thank your Excellency very sincerely for the kind welcome 
which you have given to the Rhode Island delegation. That delega- 
tion consists of two veterans, who served in the Battle of 
Lake Erie, Captain Brownell, on my right, as second officer 
of the " Ariel,' and Dr.. Usher Parsons, on my left, whose 




CsUnzi^ j£c 



SURGEON OF THE " LAWRENCE" AND THE LAST SURVIVING 
COMMISSIONED OFFICER OF PERRY'S FLEET 

services, on board the ' Lawrence,' in ameliorating the suffering of 
the wounded, have become historical ; a son of the heroic Perry, bear- 
ing the honored name of his father, and two nephews ; our Secretary 
of State; a large delegation of the State Legislature; the gentlemen 
of my personal Staff; the general Staff of the State; the Major 

[72] 




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TERRY COMMUNICATES TO GENERAL MEAD HIS FEAR OF A BRITISH ATTACK AT ERIE UPON HIS 

\l.Mf IST-COMPLETED FLEE I' 
Fac-simile of the Original in the Museum, Public Library, Erie 

The "Nia^.ir.i" Keepsake — Perry's Victory Centennial Souvenir Series. 
Copyright, 1913, oy The Juurtul of American History 



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THE NIAGARA KEEPSAKE 

General of the State; and a Brigadier General of the Line, Staff 
Officers, and one hundred and one members of the first Light In 
fantrv Gnnpanv <>f Providence, whose ranks are filled to-day by 
-.oine of our most valuable and eminent citizens: the Mayor of the 

City of Providence, as their guest, the Pine and Staff Officers of 
the Battery of Light Artillery in Providence, and the former Chief 
Engineer of the hire Department in their ranks. It will, sir. I am 
sure, be considered as giving special interest to the presence of the 
Infantry, who have accompanied me here to-day, when I state the 
fact that they bore the remains <>t the heroic Perry to Ins last resting 
place. Such the State of Rhode Island sends here to represent her 
Oil this great occasion, with her cordial greetings to the people oi 
Ohio." 

Nearly a century has rolled around since the living participants 
of that struggle for liberty received the plaudits of their countrymen, 
and it is eminently fitting and proper that centennial celebrations in 
memory of the honored dead should be observed. 

We recall at this time also the names of the Commissioners who 
drafted the Treaty of Ghent, which is the greatest peace achievement 
m international history. The prominent Americans who composed 
the Commission were John Quincy Adams, Henry Clay. Jonathan 
Russell, Senator Bayard, and Albert Gallatin. It was a Commission 
made up of statesmen. 

John Adams, at the age oi eleven, accompanied his father on a 
diplomatic mission to Paris and got his first introduction into dis- 
tinguished society. At seventeen he accompanied Francis I 'ana, 
envoy to Russia, as his private secretary. Pater he joined his father 
in Paris, where that gentleman was engaged with Franklin and John 
fay in negotiating the treat}' of peace between the Colonies and the 
mother country. He aided as additional secretary in preparation of 
that instrument, which settled the questions of the independence of 
our country. After the signing of the treaty his father was ap- 
pointed Minister to the Court of St. James, and the young man had 
another opportunity to mingle with men of public affairs. However, 
he concluded to go home and enter Harvard College, where he was 
graduated in high standing. lie studied law in Boston and in 1794 
was nominated minister to the Hague. His nomination was con- 
firmed and on his twenty-seventh birthday he received his commission. 

\dams had rendered such valuable diplomatic service to his 
country that in 1797 he was transferred to Berlin, where he ne 
gotiated a treaty of commerce between Prussia and the United States. 



perry's victory centennial souvenir 

He was recalled in the closing days of his father's administration, 
returned to Boston, and resumed the practice of law, but was soon 
elected to the Senate of Massachusetts, while in 1803 the Legislature 
of that state elected him to the United States Senate. In 1809 he 
was appointed minister to Russia. During the whole period of his 
stay in Russia the great wars of Napoleon were in progress. He 
saw the burning of Moscow and the disastrous retreat of the haughty 
invaders. He was the personal friend of Alexander, who in 1812 
suggested his willingness to act as mediator between the United States 
and Great Britain in bringing about peace. This offer, although re- 
jected by Great Britain, was the means of Great Britain submitting 
a proposition to the United States to consider terms of peace. 

Henry Clay was a member of Congress from Kentucky; fiery, 
patriotic, and a great lover of his country. It was Clay, while Speaker 
in Congress, who probably more than any other man should be given 
the credit of inciting the American people to a full realization of the 
wrongs and cruelties that had been heaped upon them by the mother 
country. It was Clay's irresistible effort and determined spirit that 
inspired the American people to patriotism, love of country, and a 
declaration of war. 

Albert Gallatin, born and educated in Geneva, Switzerland, first 
settled in Boston and soon went to Virginia, where he took the oath 
of allegiance to the United States ; afterwards came to Pennsylvania 
and purchased a large tract of land in Fayette County, where he 
made his future home. He was several times a member of the 
Pennsylvania Legislature and introduced a system of county taxa- 
tion that endured for many years. He also proposed a plan for 
county schools that was afterwards adopted. 

In 1793 he was elected to the United States Senate, but after tak- 
ing his seat was excluded from that august body because he had not 
been a resident of the United States nine years, the length of time 
prescribed by the Constitution, although he had been actually thirteen 
years in this country, — some four years or more before taking the 
oath of allegiance. 

Gallatin had so endeared himself to his people that he was elected 
to Congress, from the Fayette County district, where he remained 
some time. In Congress lie established the Ways and Means Com- 
mittee, and was recognized as one of the greatest financiers of his age. 

He was Secretary of the Treasury during the War of 1812, and 
although foreign born, had acquired a keen perception of the needs 
and requirements of the American people, while Adams, born an 

[76] 



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PERRY SENDS CAPTAIN DOBBINS BACK TO ERIE FOR SUPPLIES 

Fac-simile of the Original in the Custody of the Buffalo Historical Society 

Tlie "Niagara" Keepsake — Perry's Victory Centennial Souvenir Series, 
Copyright, 1913, i>y The Journal of American History. 










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THE NIAGARA KEEPSAKE 

American citizen, had spent most of his time abroad and was not in 
touch with the common people. 

Russell was a Minister to Sweden, and largely under influence 
of Claw Bayard, a United States Senator from Delaware, while 
having opinions of his own, alone of the other commissioners real 
ized the wisdom of Gallatin's policy and aided him with all his talents 
and influence. 

With this brief survey of the members of the Commission, so 
different in character, habits, and experience, it is easv to understand 
that to make them agree among themselves was as difficult as to 
make a satisfactory treaty with Great Britain. 

The first proposition made by England was to the effect that 
the great Northwest Territory should he ceded to the Indians under 
an English guaranty or protectorate, and that the United States 
should renew the treaty rights giving the English the right to navigate 
the Mississippi. To the first proposition all of the members of the 
Commission dissented, hut to the second Adams was inclined to agree 
in order to retain for Massachusetts certain fishing rights in Cana 
dian waters. Clay strenuously objected, and with the same tenacity 
and fixedness of purpose that he fought for the declaration of war, 
he now fought not only to preserve the totality of our country, hut 
also to protect the rights of navigation on the Mississippi River, 
and thereby save from further oppression the great western part of 
our country. 

\nd so for live long months they contended, during all of which. 
time it was the master mind of Gallatin that by his logical reasoning 
and accurate conclusions persuaded the members of the Commission 
to agree. 

1 will not attempt to recount all n{ the propositions and counter- 
propositions that passed between the parties, nor the many alter- 
cations between Clay and Adams. 

The treaty, when signed, did not contain a single word regarding 
the impressment of seamen. Nor did it mention the infamous British 
"Orders in Council,'" under which our rights as neutrals were in- 
vaded by British practices which practically were legalized piracy 
on the high seas. Explicit mention of these matters would not have 
been tactful and was not necessary. Never again did Great Britain 
presume to exercise the alleged " rights " against American com 
merce which had caused the war. 

The treaty was hailed with delight by both countries, and for a 
hundred years along the three thousand miles of the boundary line 

[79] 



PERRY S VICTORY CENTENNIAL SOUVENIR 



between the United States and the British Possessions in America 
there has not been a single regiment or company or soldier to 
protect the rights of either Nation. 

Immediately following the battle of bake Erie the men of both 
fleets participated in the solemn burial of their dead. The boats 
moved slowly in procession with oars keeping time to the music of 
the fife and drum. The flags were at half-mast and the signal guns 
were fired at regular intervals. The landing place was wild and 
picturesque. The graves had been dug beneath the spreading 
branches of a lofty willow near the shore. The American and British 
walked two by two, in alternate couples, to the graves of their heroes. 
The last gun was fired and the sorrowing company departed to their 
ships; and there for a century their remains have reposed, in absolute 
solitude, American and English side by side and undisturbed. The 
wounded of both fleets, after the battles of Lake Erie and the Thames, 
were sent to Erie, where Barclay was seen, with tottering steps, sup- 
ported between Harrison and Perry, as he walked from the landing- 
place to his quarters. 

From this celebration the American people will catch a new- 
vision of a united country, all free, all vitally related, bound in a 
universal brotherhood of peace and good will. 




The "Niagara" Keeps-ike— Perry's Victory Centenni.il Souvenir Scries. 
Copyright, 1913, by The Journal of American History. 




V. 



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1 

THE SWORD PRESENTED TO PERRY AFTER THE BATTLE OF LAKE ERIE BY THE CITY OF ALBANY. NEW YORK, 
NOW IN THE CUSTODY OF THE RHODE ISLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY 

The "Niagara" Keepsake — Perry's Victory Centennial Souvenir Series, 
Copyright, 1913, Dy The Journal of American History. 




0% "Niagara" mih tit? "Wflterutr" 

She cuuii Q)lu (Siunroiatts of llic Eakcs, tlic batting Itrssrl 

ana the Steamer. tl?e itottfcMt USrtrj ana the 3rmi #liiu, (6a 

ifuirtlt tu Salute tlie fteoulcs ehcy ijaue Seruca 





Barclay as of sure. but to 
>eace between llic United 



The Editor of The Journal of American History 

ffflUT of Eric Harbor, the beautiful old Bay of Presque 
Isle, that has seen momentous things in the history oi 
our country, — even as on August 4, 1813, she sailed 
out uver the bar under Perry's colors, — at Sundown 
of Saturday, July 12, 1913, the gallant " Niagara " will 
sail into the silver ripples of i.akc Erie under the 
convoy of the gallant " Wolverine." Their guns will lire salutes as 
they go; but the}' go not forth to meet 
celebrate one hundred golden years oi 
Stales and the British Empire. 

They have forgotten war in the concord and good-will that reign 
between the Anglo-Saxon peoples. Peace sends them on her errand 
of love. As they glide through unfearing waters, from length to 
length of Erie, Huron, Michigan, and Superior, it will be between 
green shores, one British and one American, dotted with thriving 
hamlets and populous cities where not one bristling gun nor solitary 
battlement points threateningly toward the other shore. 

The proposed itinerary of the "Niagara" and "Wolverine" 
is as follows: They will be at Erie. July 6 to 12; at Fairport, July 
12 to 13; Cleveland, July 14 to 20; Put-in-Bay, July 20 to 2c (regatta 
week) ; Monroe, July 26 to 27; Toledo, July 27 to August 1 ; Detroit, 
August 1 to 3; Green Hay, August / to 9; Milwaukee. August 11 to 
16; Chicago, August 17 to 22; Buffalo, September 1 to 7; Sandusky, 
September 8 to 9; Put-in-Bay. September 10, the centenary anni- 
versary of Berry's victory. 

For a week before they sail they will be the center of the 
celebration at Erie. It opens with 

[83] 



Peace Sunday, lulv 6. 



treat 
On 



perry's victory centennial souvenir 

Mondav, Reception Day, July 7, among many other features, the 
du Pont Powder Wagon, brought across the State of Pennsylvania, 
as one hundred years ago, by a six-horse team, under guard of a 
squad of United States Cavalry, will be met at Erie and escorted to 
the " Niagara " by a detachment of the Naval Force of Pennsyl- 
vania from the U. S. S. " Wolverine." 

Mothers' and Children's Day, July 8, will witness a parade and 
pageant of twelve thousand school children. The Erie High School 
Chorus of six hundred voices, directed by Dr. Charles G. Woolsey, 
will sing before the Grand Stand the song sung at the launching of 
the " Niagara," " Don't Give Up the Ship! " 

Governor's Day, July '■K will be signalized by the grand military 
parade of soldiers and sailors, including the Battalion from the 
"Wolverine," reviewed by Governor Tener and Staff of Pennsyl- 
vania, with the Governors of Rhode Island, Xew York, Connecticut, 
Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin. 

A grand naval parade and boat-racing in the beautiful harbor 
will take place on Naval Day, July 10. Yachts, motor boats, and 
naval training ships will assemble from all parts of the Great Lakes. 
Not to he outdone, the hydroaeroplane will fly over the harbor. A 
naval sham battle in the bay, re-enacting the battle of Lake Erie, will 
also lie a feature of this day's program. The naval parade will be 
reviewed by the Secretary of the Navy, Honorable Josephus Daniels. 

On Erie Day, July 12, as the sun falls into the Lake, the 
" Niagara " and the " Wolverine " will heave up their anchors and 
pass out to take their places as the centers of like festivities in other 
cities. 

It is most appropriate that the two old guardians of the Lakes 
should make this trip together. Bonds of destiny have closely linked 
them from the beginning. Both were built in Erie, whence both 
went forth on active service, and whither both ever returned, as to 
their native home. Both became receiving ships in their old age. 

Moreover, on her own account the " Wolverine " is scarcely less 
interesting than the " Niagara." The " Wolverine " is only thirty 
years younger than the " Niagara," and yet the two belong to entirely 
different ages in ship-building. The " Niagara " was born just at 
the end of one era, and the " Wolverine " just at the beginning of 
the next. The " Niagara " was one of the last sailing vessels of 
war; the " Wolverine " was one of the earliest war steamers. What 
a revolution in the method of propulsion through the water! Again, 
the " Niagara " was built near the end of the long age of wooden 

[84] 




CAPTAIN STEPHEN CHAMPLIN FIRST COUSIN OF PERRY, WHO COMMANDED THE '•SCORPION'" 1\ I Ilk 
BATT] E OF LAKE ERIE, FIRED THE FIRST \ X I > LAST Minis IX Till. BATTLE, \ V I > WAS AFTER- 
WARDS COMMANDER <>F THE CSS "MICHIGAN," NOW "WOLVERINE," WHICH 

X<>\\ ESCORTS' THE " NIAGARA " 



The 



'Niagara" Keepsake— Perry's Vii Inry Centennial Souvenir Series. 
Copyright, IBIS, i-y The Journal of Amen ju History, 




DECK VIEW OF THE "MICHIGAN," NOW THE "WOLVERINE." IX 1870, WITH OFFICER GRIDLEY 

TO THE RIGHT AND FRONT. WHO FIRED THE FIRST SHOT IN THE I1ATTLE OF 

MANILA, AT THE WORD OF ADMIRAL DEWEY, "YOU MAY FIRE 

WHEN YOU GET READY, GRIDLEY " 



The "Ni.iy.ira" Keepsake — Perry's Victory Centennial Souvenir Series. 
Copyright, 1913, t.y The Journal of American History. 



THE NIAGARA KEEPSAKE 

vessels, while the " Wolverine " was built at the very beginning of the 
new age of iron vessels. The " Michigan " was, in fact, the very first 
iron vessel launched upon the Great lakes, and a crowd assembled 
at her launching to see the iron ship sink to the bottom. Her original 
name, " Michigan," she relinquished in modern times, that it might 
be borne by a new battleship of the United States Navy, and took her 
present name, " Wolverine." 

The little hitch in the relaunching of the " Niagara " has been 
noticed elsewhere. It is a curious coincidence that the " Michigan" 
also stuck on the ways at her launching, and launched herself, un- 
attended by crowds, during the night following. 

The building of the " Michigan," was authorized by an Act of 
Congress approved September 9, 1841, appropriating one hundred 
thousand dollars " for the construction or armament of such armed 
steamers or other vessels for defense of the Northwestern Lakes as 
the President thinks proper, and as may lie authorized by the existing 
stipulations between this and the British Government." She was 
designed by and constructed under the direction of Samuel Hart, 
naval constructor, of New York. Early documents show that, as first 
contemplated, she was to have been a wooden vessel. A little later 
a vessel of iron was determined upon, and in Mav, 1842, a contract 
for furnishing the material and building the iron hull, engines, boilers, 
etc., was let to Stackhouse & Tomlinson of Pittsburgh. These ma- 
terials were brought in sections to Erie, where the vessel was put 
together. 

She was launched on December 5, 1843, and on December 8 
the name, " Michigan," was selected for her by the President of the 
United States. She was completed and commissioned in 1844. The 
iron work of the " Wolverine " is still in a remarkable state of preser- 
vation, and she is propelled to-day by her original engines, — curious 
affairs, but practically " in as good condition as when built." 

Characteristically the " Niagara " tells us the war-story that 
brought a long peace, while the " Wolverine " can tell of seventy 
years of the peace that came. Vet the " Wolverine," too, has a war- 
story of her own — during the Civil War when the country the 
Niagara " had fought to preserve well-nigh fell to pieces. During 
that conflict, the half centenary of which is also iust now upon us, 
the " Michigan," armed to her teeth, did unremitting duty on the 
Lakes, guarding against the numerous Confederate plots hatched on 
Canadian soil. 



PERRY S VICTORY CENTENNIAL SOUVENIR 

One of the most audacious of these had the seizure of the 
" Michigan " herself as its object, and was ail-but successful. A 
traitor was on board ; but was suspected, watched, trapped, and cap- 
tured. Missing the " Michigan," the conspirators boldly seized 
another vessel on Lake Erie, but many of them were eventually 
secured and some of them executed. Interesting and exciting, this 
story is too long for this time and place. 

We must mention, however, a very interesting link between the 
two old war vessels. Captain Stephen Champlin from Rhode Island, 
Perry's first cousin, commanded the " Scorpion " in the battle of Lake 
Erie, one of the vessels built in Erie. He fought her well, ably sup- 
porting Perry, first while the latter was on board the " Lawrence," 
and afterwards while he was on board the " Niagara." Champlin fired 
the first and the last shots in the battle of Lake Erie; and, as was 
fitting, in his old age, which was the youth of the " Michigan," became 
the commander of that vessel. 

Captain Champlin was the second commander of the " Mich- 
igan.'' Her latest commander. Captain Morrison, now in turn be- 
comes the first commander of the rejuvenated " Niagara." L T nder 
his hand she was tenderly raised, rebuilt, and equipped, and he will 
conduct her on her centenary voyage. 

Lieutenant W. H. F. Nick, second in command of the 
" Wolverine," has also ably served the " Niagara." He took some 
of the most interesting photographs, reproduced in this book, and 
has been indefatigable in charge of the details of the general cele- 
bration in Erie. Ensign A. G. Kessler of the " Wolverine " labored 
with Captain Morrison to transcribe for posterity the lines of the 
" Niagara" as she came up out of her long sleep: and, in fact, all 
the officers and the entire crew of the " Wolverine " deserve great 
credit. 

And so these two old sisters, of war and of peace, the " Niagara " 
and the " Wolverine," the sailing vessel and the steamer, the wooden 
brig and the iron ship, will together, in the words of Miss Reed, " go 
up and down the chain of Great Lakes and remind a new generation 
of the price paid by our forefathers for the freedom we enjoy to-day." 



[8Sl 




UNITED STATES STEAMER " MICHIGAN " \'< >\V THE " WOLVERINE "—IN 1802 



The "Niagara" Keepsake — Perry's Victory <"< ntennial Souvenir Scries. 
Copyright, 1913, by The Journal of American History. 




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IP^PROM Erie, her one lake port, the State of Pennsyl- 
vania gave to the Nation Perry's fleet, with Dobbins 
and his brave men. She gave the old " Michigan," 
now the " Wolverine. - ' To-day she regives the 
" Niagara," and sends the Second Battalion of her 
Naval Force aboard the " Wolverine," as an escort, 
snail be the permanent memorial at Erie to the valor of 
the men and women of the State of Pennsylvania? 

In May, 1913, Governor Tener approved another bill drawn up 
by General Sisson. Its preamble speaks of "the Brig, Niagara, to 
which Commodore Perry transferred his flag from the disabled Law- 
rence during the battle, and which — for nearly one hundred years at 
the bottom of Misery Bay, an arm of Presque Isle Bay, at Erie — has 
been raised by the Commissioners appointed by the Governor of Penn- 
sylvania. . .and is now the property of the State of Pennsylvania." 
It speaks of the appropriateness of "a permanent marker, arch, or 
memorial. . .at Erie to commemorate not only the bravery of Corn- 
mod, .re Perry and his gallant men, but the part taken by Pennsyl- 
vanians in building the fleet and in fighting the battle, including the 
conspicuous services of Captain Daniel Dobbins of Erie, who was 
instrumental in inducing the Government to build the fleet, and was 
in charge of its construction when Perry arrived in March, 1813." 

The bill accordingly appropriates $75,000 " for the purpose 
of restoring the aforesaid Brig, Niagara, to the condition she 
was in at the time said battle of Pake Erie was fought, as nearly 
as said Commissioners can, with the exercise of reasonable diligence, 
restore it to its original condition, including rigging, armory, and 



91 



PERRY S VICTORY CENTENNIAL SOUVENIR 

equipment of every kind, and for paying the expenses incident to the 
proper participation of said Brig in the events of this centennial 
year, and the proper care therefor until further provided for by the 
Legislature." 

Thus tn the generosity of the State of Pennsylvania we owe much 
at this time. The bill further provides that any balance which may be 
left of the said appropriation shall be " expended by said Commis- 
sioners at the City of Erie, Pennsylvania, in commemorating the 
building of the fleet," etc., " in conjunction with moneys contributed 
by the citizens of Erie, and others, for the purpose of erecting said 
permanent marker, arch, or memorial." 

Some sort of memorial seems thus assured. How shall it be 
made worthy of the great State of Pennsylvania and her brave sons 
and daughters? A beautiful memorial arch should be erected over 
State Street at Perry Square, Erie. Put may not the memorial also 
take the further form of a permanent endowment to carry on a 
patriotic service along lines that Perry himself would be most in- 
terested in if he were with us? 

It is notorious that the Naval Militia of our States suffers con- 
stant neglect as a dependency of annual sessions of our Legislatures. 
Why not establish at Erie a permanent summer training camp and 
rendezvous for the Naval Forces of all our States? The Peninsula 
about Presnue Isle Ray should be made a National Park for this 
purpose. This can be easily arranged, as it is already owned princi- 
pallv by the National Government and the State of Pennsylvania. 
Here the " Niagara " and the " Wolverine" would form a patriotic 
nucleus. 

This is a service of love not for Pennsylvania alone, but for 
other States and the whole country. The Journal of American 
Historv will co-operate heartily, gladly acknowledging through its 
pages contributions to the Pennsylvania Commissioners for this pur- 
pose. It believes it can also speak for the hearty co-operation of the 
men and women of our patriotic societies throughout Pennsylvania, 
and every other State, as well as for the teachers and pupils in our 
public schools everywhere. 

We suggest that beautifully bound books of record be kept perma- 
nentlv on board the " Niagara," in which the name and address of 
every donor of not less than one dollar be permanently enrolled as one 
of the builders of the " Niagara " and the " Niagara Memorial." Such 
books Tin-: Journal of American History will gladly donate to the 
Pennsvlvania Board of Perry's Victory Centennial Commissioners. 

[93] 




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THE NIAGARA KEEPSAKE 

An account of the old Conestoga Wagon, drawn by six horses 
and escorted by picked men of the United States Cavalry, traversing 1 




UNITED STATES CAVALRY ESCORT OF THE 
DU PONT POWDER WAGON 



the State of Pennsylvania to get powder to the " Xiagara " in time for 
the Erie Celebration, a repetition of the journey to Perry's fleet in 
1813, will appear in " The Xiagara Keepsake," No. 2. 

[95] 




To the Reader: 

['lease send your name and address, that announce- 
ment may he sent you when the supplemental volume is 
ready. A postcard will do — thus: 

The Journal of American History. 
Forty-Second Street Building, New York: 
As requested in " The Niagara Keep- 
sake " T give below my name and address. 



Name . . 

Address 




A SPIKE FROM 1111'. RAISED 
" NIAGARA " 



Tli. "Niagara" KeepsaVe — Perry's Victory Centennial Souvel I 
Copyright, 1913, i>y The Journal of American History, 



